title: Transcranial direct current stimulation enhances cognitive control during emotion regulation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ability to cognitively control emotions is critical for mental health. Previous studies have identified the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) as a core region in cognitive reappraisal. However, there is only scarce evidence whether directly modulating dlPFC activity results in improved capacities for cognitive reappraisal.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we used anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right dlPFC to investigate the effects of increased dlPFC excitability on cognitive reappraisal as indexed by subjective emotional arousal ratings and skin conductance responses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was designed as a double-blind, between-subjects, sham-controlled trial. Half of the healthy participants were randomly assigned to receive either active tDCS (n = 21, 1.5 mA for 20 min over the right dlPFC) or sham stimulation (n = 21). Participants viewed negative and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System while they were instructed to either downregulate, upregulate or maintain their emotions. After each picture presentation, participants rated the intensity of emotional arousal. Skin conductance responses and gaze fixation were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our results revealed that anodal prefrontal tDCS during downregulation resulted in decreased skin conductance responses and decreased emotional arousal ratings. The opposite pattern was observed for the upregulation condition in which anodal tDCS resulted in higher arousal ratings accompanied by marginally enhanced skin conductance responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicates that tDCS facilitates cognitive reappraisal in both directions by either increasing or decreasing emotional responsiveness depending on the regulatory goal. This provides further evidence for the potential use of tDCS as a tool to modulate cognitive reappraisal. However, given the limitations of the present study, our findings need to be replicated and complimented by further studies.
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: melanie.feeser@fu-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feeser
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prehn
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kazzer
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Eschenallee 3, 14050 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mungee
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence "Languages of Emotion", Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195 Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Eschenallee 3, 14050 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajbouj
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cognitive reappraisal; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Emotion regulation; Gaze pattern; Skin conductance response; Transcranial direct current stimulation